Helleborus plant named ‘COSEH 3040’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Helleborus  plant named ‘COSEH 3040’, characterized by its relatively compact, upright and mounding plant habit; uniform and freely flowering habit; dark green-colored leaves; freely and early flowering habit; single white and yellow green-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Helleborus niger.

Cultivar denomination: ‘COSEH 3040’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Helleborus plant, botanically known as Helleborus niger and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘COSEH 3040’.

The new Helleborus plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Glandorf, Germany. The objective of the breeding program was to create new uniform Helleborus plants with unique and attractive leaf and flower forms and coloration and resistance to pests common to Helleborus plants.

The new Helleborus plant originated from a cross-pollination conducted by the Inventor in Glandorf, Germany in December, 2008 of two unnamed proprietary seedling selections of Helleborus niger, not patented. The new Helleborus plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination grown in a controlled greenhouse environment in Glandorf, Germany in November, 2010.

Asexual reproduction of the new Helleborus plant by divisions in a controlled environment in Glandorf, Germany since February, 2011 has shown that the unique features of this new Helleborus plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Helleborus have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘COSEH 3040’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘COSEH 3040’ as a new and distinct Helleborus plant:

-   -   1. Relatively compact, upright and mounding plant habit.     -   2. Uniform and freely flowering habit.     -   3. Dark green-colored leaves.     -   4. Freely and early flowering habit.     -   5. Single white and yellow green-colored flowers.     -   6. Good garden performance.

Compared to plants of the parent selections, plants of the new Helleborus are more uniformly mounded and are more freely flowering.

Plants of the new Helleborus can be compared to plants of Helleborus niger ‘HGC Joshua’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,957. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Glandorf, Germany, plants of the new Helleborus differed primarily from plants of ‘HGC Joshua’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Helleborus are more compact than and not as         vigorous as plants of ‘HGC Joshua’.     -   2. Plants of the new Helleborus flowered earlier than plants of         ‘HGC Joshua’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Helleborus plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Helleborus plant.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘COSEH 3040’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical flower of ‘COSEH 3040’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the autumn in 13-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in Glandorf, Germany and under cultural practices typical of commercial Helleborus production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 12° C. to 32° C. and night temperatures ranged from 3° C. to 18° C. Plants were 14 months old when the photographs and the description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Helleborus niger ‘COSEH 3040’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed proprietary seedling             selection of Helleborus niger, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed proprietary seedling             selection of Helleborus niger, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By tissue culture.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About two months at             temperatures about 12° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About six             months at temperatures ranging from 4° C. to 15° C.         -   Root description.—Thick to thin, fleshy; white to brown in             color.         -   Rooting habit.—Sparse. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial; relatively             compact, upright and mounding plant habit with flowers held             just above the foliar plane; plant shape is roughly             globular; low vigor to moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of foliar plane.—About 11.2             cm.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of flowers.—About 16.5 cm.         -   Plant diameter (area of spread).—About 24.9 cm. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Leaves arranged in a basal rosette; leaves             palmately compound with seven leaflets per leaf.         -   Leaf length.—About 11.2 cm.         -   Leaf width.—About 12 cm.         -   Leaflet length.—About 6.5 cm.         -   Leaflet width.—About 3.3 cm.         -   Leaf shape.—Palmate; orbicular to reniform in outline.         -   Leaflet shape.—Obovate to narrowly obovate.         -   Leaflet apex.—Acute to bluntly acute.         -   Leaflet base.—Attenuate.         -   Leaflet margin.—Serrate.         -   Leaflet texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous;             leathery.         -   Leaflet luster, upper and lower surfaces.—Moderately glossy.         -   Leaflet venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Leaflet color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to             138A. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 146B. Fully             developed leaves, upper surface: Between N137A and 147A;             venation, close to 143A. Fully developed leaves, lower             surface: Close to 147B; venation, close to 144B to 144C.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 8.3 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144B; towards the base,             densely speckled with close to 183C to 183D. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower shape and habit.—Single rotate flowers arranged             singly or in pairs; freely and uniform flowering habit with             about 24 flowers developing per plant; flowers facing mostly             outwardly to slightly upright.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants begin flowering about ten             months after planting; plants flower from autumn into winter             in Germany.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About ten days; flowers not             persistent.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 2.3 cm. Diameter: About 1.3 cm.             Shape: Ovate to elliptic. Color: Close to 149D and 155A.         -   Flower diameter.—About 7.8 cm.         -   Flower depth (height).—About 2.1 cm.         -   Petals.—Transformed into nectaries.         -   Sepals.—Quantity and arrangement: Five, arranged in a single             whorl. Length: About 4.2 cm. Width: About 3.6 cm. Shape:             Broadly ovate; slightly concave. Apex: Obtuse. Base: Broadly             cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close             to NN155B to NN155C; towards the base, close to 144B. When             opening, lower surface: Close to NN155A to NN155B; towards             the base, close to 144B. Fully opened, upper surface: Close             to 155A; towards the apex and base, tinged with close to             150D; at the base, close to 144B. Fully opened, lower             surface: Close to 145D and 150D; towards the apex, tinged             with close to 145A to 145B; at the base, close to 144B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 5.7 cm. Diameter: About 7 mm.             Aspect: About 20° from vertical. Strength: Moderately             strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 144B to             144C heavily speckled with close to N186C; towards the base,             speckling is closer to 187B.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 9.8 cm. Diameter: About 4.5 mm.             Aspect: About 20° from peduncle axis. Strength: Moderately             strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 144B to             144C heavily speckled with close to N186C; towards the base,             speckling is closer to 187B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower:             About 120. Filament length: About 1.8 cm. Filament color:             Close to NN155D. Anther shape: Reniform; basifixed. Anther             length: About 2 mm. Anther color: Close to 3B. Pollen             amount: Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 4C to 4D. Pistils:             Quantity per flower: About five to eight. Pistil length:             About 1 cm. Stigma shape: Club-shaped. Stigma color: Close             to 155A. Style length: About 9.5 mm. Style color: Close to             NN155B. Ovary color: Close to 150D. Nectaries (transformed             petals): Quantity per flower: About 20. Length: About 9 mm.             Diameter: About 2.5 mm. Shape: Tubular, flattened. Color,             immature, inner and outer surfaces: Close to N144A; towards             the apex, close to N144B. Color, mature, inner and outer             surfaces: Close to N144A; towards the apex, close to 153D.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit development have not been             observed on plants of the new Helleborus. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Helleborus have been observed     to have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind and high     temperatures about 35° C. and to be hardy to USDA Hardiness Zone 5. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Helleborus have not     been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Helleborus plants. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Helleborus plant named ‘COSEH 3040’ as illustrated and described. 